Smart polymer surfaces: Concepts and applications in biosciences

Abstract

Stimuli-responsive macromolecules (i.e., pH-, thermo-, photo-, chemo-, and bioresponsive polymers) have gained exponential importance in materials science, nanotechnology, and biotechnology during the last two decades. This chapter describes the usefulness of this class of polymer for preparing smart surfaces (e.g., modified planar surfaces, particles surfaces, and surfaces of three-dimensional scaffolds). Some efficient pathways for connecting these macromolecules to inorganic, polymer, or biological substrates are described. In addition, some emerging bioapplications of smart polymer surfaces (e.g., antifouling surfaces, cell engineering, protein chromatography, tissue engineering, biochips, and bioassays) are critically discussed. © 2010 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.